Purpose
CFDA Number: 84.360
Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants
The School Dropout Prevention Program assists schools with annual dropout rates above their state average to implement effective dropout prevention and re-entry efforts. The program is a response to a national dropout rate of about 11 percent over the past decade (with significantly higher rates in some regions and for some groups of students), and the poor labor market outcomes for those without a high school credential.
The Dropout Prevention Program is primarily a grant program to state education agencies (SEAs) and local school districts to implement research-based, sustainable, and coordinated school dropout prevention and re-entry programs. Grants were awarded competitively and support activities such as professional development; reduction in student-teacher ratios; counseling and mentoring for at-risk students; and the implementation of comprehensive school reform models. The U.S. Department of Education also will create a national recognition program to identify schools that have been effective in lowering school dropout rates for all students.
